Being the best is synonymous with this finely tuned machine we call the American way of life. We work hard, we play even harder, & we're told from the time we're in diapers to do our very best. Never under any circumstances are we persuaded to throw in the towel & give up. Because "quitters never win"! Right?
But in my thirty seven plus years of doing this little thing called life, I have found that ever so stale little blanket statement to be slightly flawed. For example, I watched a video series on this very topic many years ago. The guest professor described a famous painting of a blimp that had broken loose from it's....from it's....well...whatever you call proper docking facilities for blimps back in the day. The painting depicted men struggling to regain control of the giant aircraft with numerous ropes that had broken loose. Sadly, some had held on too long finding themselves entirely too high to simply let go without falling to their death. Yet if they continued to hold on they would also certainly die from a rapidly rising out of control blimp. A no win situation to be certain.
Point being: Know when to let go. I.E., know when to drop that college course that just isn't working out. Start anew with a lighter schedule the following semester & perhaps with a different instructor that can offer fresh insight to the subject. Know when to let go of a doomed relationship that will only bring further heartache (sticky, & easier said than done I realize). Know when to sound the retreat so that lives will be saved & soldiers will live to fight another day. As one professor somberly warned me in his office during my graduate work, "You might squeak it out, but you might end up with a bloody nose. Are you prepared to deal with the worst case scenario?"
I reluctantly ended up dropping the course, recharging the batteries, & had success the following semester. Painful? Less than ideal? Time consuming & hard on the ol' checking account? To quote the first female Governor of the great state of Alaska & the only real hope for our nation in crisis: "You betcha!" But alas, (sigh) such is life.
In the game of Chess, we know that the opponent's king is seldom placed in checkmate in the opening moves of the game. It's all about proper positioning, much patience, careful preparation, & often times painful retreat. Or worse still, loss.
But loss is inevitable. Plan for it. embrace it. Absorb & endure the hit. The Osteen's of the world would have you believe you will be exempt from these painful experiences if you're living right (shyeah right...whatever "living right" means/entails). So consider today's entry your own little personal Fox News Alert. In the fallen realm in which you and I reside, great health is the slowest means by which we STILL die.
Not suggesting you sell the franchise. Just saying that sometimes it's important to know when to flip the sign to "Closed" so on a different day, you return more rested & ready than ever. Now stop reading this & go to bed. ;-)